Dash my doe had her babies a week ago. how soon can i start to handle them? i have looked in today while Dash was down the garden and they are all moving about and look like the fur has came. i still havent touched them just moved the bedding to have a look. they are growing well and mum seems happy.
We handle our babies from day 1. It makes them used to people and to being handled. At first it is just for a short few seconds to make sure all are doing well and they are being feed good, but as they get older we hold them longer and more often. If your doe is used to you she should not have a problem with you touching her babies. If she seems nervous give her a treat first and then go for it. Enjoy them while they are little. : ) Tony Artist,
http://www.artistrabbitry.com
We\'ve only been breeding rabbits for a year now and have had 4 litters. So far, we have handled the babies from day 1 as well. Like Tony said, only for a few seconds to start, but we keep increasing it as they get older. We have ha some of the sweetest and well socialized bunnies doing it this way. Also, our does are wonderful. We do offer them a treat when we check on the babies. More to show them they are still special and not just their babies than for them to let us reach in.
Good lck with them. They grow so fast, so enjoy every minute. Just like kids!
We like to handle our babies from the beginning also. We want to make sure that all are being cared for and are healthy. It seems to me that when they are used to being handled as babies, they are easier to handle when they are older.
i have 1 day old kits the mom is not staying by them or feeding them she had them (3) at 10am and she has not showing any interest in them. When i go in there, which is our laundry room, she goes into the box. when i leave she jumps out it doen\'t look like she\'ll hurt them i have shown her them 2x and she just licks them alot. help? will she start nursing soom? this is her 1st litter
It is normal for the doe not to stay with the kits. Rabbits feed their kits only once or twice a day and then only briefly. This is a survival mechanism carried over from the wild. You won\'t (or shouldn\'t) see a doe lying with her kits the way a dog or cat might.
You can tell if the doe is nursing or not by the condition of the kits. Well-fed kits are smooth in body and their tummies are round from milk consumption. Thin, bony, shriveled kits are not getting sufficient milk. If the kits look good, you need not worry.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
u can handle them any time you want just be careful to hold there heads and make sure you hold them firmly o and also dont hold them with cold hands as they need to kept warm i know this because we had new baby rabs just 6 days ago vist my piczo webby
http://www.bunnymad-06.piczo.com